Fowl marker



H. W. DRYDEN May 12, 1953 F OWL MARKER Filed June 4, 1949 111/ 1.411 l1 1 r 11 Il 11111111 INVENTOR. HORA 0E W. RYDE/V B250` M ATTORNEY Patented May 12, 1953 UNI-TED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,631,925' FwnMmi-Ea IIoracev Dryden, Modesto, Calif.v Appleman-Junta 1949i; serilNo. 97.193'4 4 claims; (Clem-a) 1 This invention relates to anl` appa'ratus `r` for; marking animals, including? fowl. ularly, it. relatesto a marker' for` fowle'which placed? on the birds Wing'vfsothat'itcah alwaysbe seenelearly.

The trouble with most` markersfor'fowl is'ftha-t' they are hard to readY orare too-easily displaced',`-

or injure the bird when they are beingvlfcir'nf,V

Leg bands are hard to read.A Theb'ird haysto be lifted to read the numberl en ajlegband-,-l in* addition to which there'is" the probl'emof iirstjv catching the bird. The numerals on `v th'eband are usuallyT obscuredbecausechickens legsj aref' have tended to injure the' bird.- and have also', been diiiicul't to read.' They have comprised wires passed around the Wing,r with''atagpressedI around the Wire. This nar1oW`Wir-e (like Reni shaws) tends to cut into thevving'and har-rn the' r bird both physically and nervously; with' liens it may result in greatlydecreased egg production. At the saine timethe/Wire or tagis apt tov catch on .things andA come un'astened; andfit'isials'ofa'pti` to come uniastened as a resultl ofthe' bird beat-V ing its Wings because'ofr the nervous efectiofthe irritating Wire.

While the wire loop stayson,` the tag is apt to be coveredlby'ieathers 'andtoslipbacland forth along the Wire andi to' rotatefaroundthe wire; it will seldom, and only byu-chance,` hang in a'satisiactory reading position` Even whenl it does, the numbers are too small.tobereadfataf distance and cannot bemadelargefwithout inl-`y creasing both the irritation 'onrthe' bird'fandthev-l likelihood ci the tag. laying over'` on tile-"Wire Legibility at all times cannot vbe assured'.V

The present invention solves the"proble'nis :of marking birds.

The object of the invention is to provide a badge that can be read some distance away yfrom the bird, Withouthaving to 'touch' thefbi'rd' to provide a badge that'.willfnotfcoinefoiaccidentally; to provide a badge thatvvill not injurefthe birdor in eriere in any Way withitsfmovements; tov provide an economical, easily appliedfwirigiL badge; and to provide a wingbadge.thativvillal-` Ways be: supported in easy readingfposition-Q Other objectsl and advantagesoi the invention? will become clear fromthe following description."

i.' have described in detail aibadgefvwhich embodies the invention, but I` do not mean thereby to imply that the invention isilimited: to suciifd H 60"" tails, asl understand-'the description is merely More partiel" The band is l curved"- illustrative, and thatl the scope of the invention is i strapV which is formed into a loop around they Wing near the body in such a way that the loop is`v sin'allerL than the Widest part of the Wing and therefore cannot slide off the Wing.

This is' illustrated in the drawings Where,

Fig. ll isa View in side elevation of the upperv portion' of aioWl showing Where the case and nlir'iber are positioned, in this instance on the leftvvirigi` A Figi 2f`is a vievv of the underside of the extended lright Wing showing the marker being applied by pliers Which'w'ill secure the band together. The wing bonesL and covering'esh are shown diagrarnniatically.

Fig. Bfis'a View in perspective looking at the complete marker from the rear;

Fighe. is a View in section along the line 4-4 inlFigB;

Fig'.` 5 is a View in perspective and partly in cross-section looking at the marker from one side; and

`Fig.A 6 is an exploded View in perspective and partlyiIicross-section taken along the line 6 6 in Figl vv3 with the 'strapomitted I prefer to make the case out of a light-weightv transparent plastic, and this is. the type of case shownin the drawings; however, other materials couldfbe used.

The-.wing badge and'marker i is composed of the case; H; having the offset supporting flange I2,A and-'the broad fiat strip metal loop l3 secured to thai-lange.

The caseli hasy the base member 2E and the face'inember 2 i'. The base' member has a raised :peripheral rim 23T aroundl its front side (see Fig;

6)" to iorm aWid'e fiat' pocket 2d. The transparenty faceniemb'er 2l has an inset rim 25 about thecsanie. height as the rim 23 which fits snugly beside "the rirri 23 when the base and raceV are put v ftog'etherfisee'llig. 5) l The identication card 22' Its in the pocket 26""fo'r'med inside the rirn 25. When the case Il isiassenibled', the cardv 2 is held securely be'- tween the base and the face, and its large numbers-show clearly through the The-*easel l preferably is assembled by meisteningfthe abutting partsv of the base and the face with a` plastic solvent' (e. g. acetone) and then prefv ing these parts together with the card 22 inbti'veno'-so-the 'case' becomes a one piece unit.

transparent face.

abusez 3 It is sealed so the lnumber card is always clean and it cannot fall out or get lost.

The offset supporting flange I2 may be molded in one piece with the base 20, or it maybe cemented to it or fixed toit in some other suitable manner. Preferably it is perpendicular to the body I I and is located a short distance above the bottom edge 2l. When the badge is placed on a bird, the ilange I2 rests on top of the wing and helps to support the case `II at all times in a generally vertical position (see Fig. 1).

Preferably the ange l2 has a longitudinal slot 30 (Fig. 6), to receive the loop member I'3. This may be affixed to the iiange I2 by the staples 3|, or in some other way. The loop I3 could be staplecl (or otherwise aflixed) to the upper or lower edge of the flange I2 instead of being held in the slot 30. In that case Ithe slot could be omitted. The loop maybe made of aluminum or any other suitable metal.-

The loop I3 lis made wide and thin. By being relatively wide it will not chafe or cut into the birds ilesh. By being relatively thin the loop 'is easily formed around the wing. The loop is closed down to a size to t around the wing 40 and forms a loose loop around the wing web 4I and bone 42 between the first joint 43 and the body joint 44 (see Fig. 2).

The first and second bones of a birds wing are overlaid with a skin web 4I which stretches into a wedge shaped generally horizontal form when the wing is extended. I'he narrow end of the wedge is at the body of the bird. When the wing is folded in against the side of the birds body the bulk of ilesh, meat and feathers around the rst joint 43 is greater than the bulk along the first bone 42 between the joint 43 and the body.

This means that the loop I3 can be placed around the first bone of the wing, adjacent the body, and closed at its ends 35 and 35 with the loop slidable partway along the rst bone 42, but with the loop size too small to slide over the bulk of flesh, meat and feathers at the first joint 43. The loop does not pass through the iiesh of the wing, making it easy to install and minimizing the chance for any soreness of the wing. When formed around the wing the loop I3 has a generally oblong shape with its long dimension extending generally in the direction of the support ing ilange I2.

At the two ends of the strip I3 are the catches. This may be a hole-and-rivet catch as shown (the hole is numbered 35 and the rivet 3G in Fig. 3) or it may be a. slot-and-flap arrangement where the flap is put through a slot and folded down. It is important that it be a permanent catch, so that the ends of the loop cannot disconnect.

Fig. 2 shows how the marker is placed on a bird. It may go on either wing. Here the right wing 40 is opened out with one hand, and the strip I3 is folded around the wing between the body joint 44 and the first joint 43. The catch 35, 36 is closed, completing the loop. The rivet 36 is then preferably clamped by a pair of longnosed pliers 45, to make sure that it can never come off accidentally.

An important feature of the present invention is that when the badge is on, the oifset flange I2 rests on top of the wing 40 (see Fig. 1) where it supports the case II in a generally upright position. The number in the case is easily read from a distance. It will stay reasonably clean because it is on the wing away from the dirt of the yard and because the plastic case is smooth and tends to shed dirt. 'I'he marker cannot slip oil the wing and it does not interfere Vin anyway with the birds normal life. It does no physical injury to the bird; does not interfere with breeding; does not hamper circulation; and it does not lend itself to use as a weapon in lighting between birds.

Because the strip I3 is broad and thin it does -not dig into the birds flesh, but always rests evenly on the bird. Also because it is flat, it supports the ange I2 substantially in one position. This means that a large light-weight badge can be used and that it will always be in the same balanced upright position. There is no chance forit to lay over because the band I3 is too wide, and it cannot slide along the band because it is stapled in position. The numbers can be made as large as desired without injuring the bird, and can be read at a distance of twenty to forty feet. The iiat strip cannot come off once the catch 35, 36 is secured, and the badge is held vertically for the life of the bird. Thus this marker is completely readable at all times.

I claim:

1. A fowl marker comprising a relatively large wing badge member having an identifying insignia visible from one face thereof and adapted to be supported in an upright position from the base of the wing structure, a relatively wide flange rigid therewith and projecting from the opposite face thereof and normal thereto, the flange being adjacent an edge of the member and extending lengthwise thereof for seating engagement on the said base portion of the wing, said ilange having opposite end extensions of bendable band form disposed in a plane parallel to said member and having terminal securing means, the extensions being substantially rigid transversely thereof and being of a length to provide with the intermediate iiange upon engagement of the securing means a relatively wide loop member for loosely embracing the said wing base portion between the opposing surfaces thereof.

2. A fowl marker according to claim 1, wherein said ange is provided with a longitudinal slot, said extensions constituting the end portions of a band whose central body portion is disposed within said slot, and means extending through the flange and said band central portion for holding same in position. f

3. A fowl marker according to claim l, wherein said flange is disposed in relatively close spaced relation to the lower edge of said member.

4. The structure according to claim l, wherein said member comprises a base portion from which said ilange projects, a transparent face member secured to the face of said base portion opposite said flange and a card bearing said identifying insignia disposed between said base portion and said face member.

HORACE W. DRYDEN.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 881,152 Renshaw Mar. 10, 1908 1,661,506 Sanders Mar. 6, 1928 1,885,282 OConner Nov. 1, 1932 2,095,481 Skopec Oct. 12, 1937 2,114,135 Butler Apr. 12, 1938 2,595,623 Dryden Apr. 29, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 555,427 England Aug. 23, 1943 

